1

New Theories / Re: Can an atom absorb a photon, yet its total kinetic energy is decreased.

« on: Yesterday at 16:40:06 »

Let's assume an atom consists of the nucleus and electrons as point particles. Take the inertial frame to be that of the fixed laboratory. Its total energy consists of the total kinetic and potential energy of the system of particles.If an electron absorbs a photon of energy E, the total energy of the atom increases by E. Can it happen that this increase in energy result in an increase of its total potential energy = E + Del(potential energy) and its total kinetic energy decreases by Del(potential energy).   

Yes.
Photons carry momentum and momentum is conserved.

2

New Theories / Re: Why Quasars are So Hot?

« on: Yesterday at 00:04:39 »

Thanks
Now it is clear:

It may well be clear, but I don't think you have understood it.

3

Just Chat! / Re: Can schoolkids kidnapping be eliminated by this simple weird trick

« on: 03/10/2023 10:11:34 »

Or we could do without schools altogether- and everyone would be as wise as the OP.

4

Just Chat! / Re: Should legislators receive royalties each time a law they wrote is enforced?

« on: 03/10/2023 09:46:42 »

Everybody has the right to kill people,

Not on this side of the pond.

Why do people like your good self wish to go and kill others

Notwithstanding some differences in approach, I think I count as "like" Alan.
And, as strange as you might find this, not only do I not wish to go and kill others, I rather doubt Alan does.

So it seems you are mainly being wrong.

Why is that?

5

New Theories / Re: Why Quasars are So Hot?

« on: 02/10/2023 21:34:11 »

Hence, do you confirm that the gravitational potential energy of a proton at two light-days from the 3C 273 quasar black hole  is - -8.37 x 10-14 joules?

Never mind the actual numerical value.
It's the energy required to remove a proton from 2 light days to infinity.
It has virtually nothing to do with the energy released when it falls in.

6

New Theories / Re: Why Quasars are So Hot?

« on: 02/10/2023 17:53:09 »

U = (-GMm)/r
So the magnitude of that energy that gets smaller if we look at a larger radius.

If I drop a rock on my foot, it does more harm if I drop it from further up (i.e. with a larger radius)

So, apparently more damage results from less energy.

It's clear that U doesn't mean what Dave thinks it does.

In order to find out how hard something hits the ground you need to know where the ground is as well as from how far up you dropped it.

And as far as I can see (I may have missed it) Dave has not estimated the radius of the accretion disk (or whatever it is that get's "hit".

So he can't have worked out how much energy is available to do anything interesting like heat stuff or make magnetic fields.
Pity he didn't do the right calculation...
https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=86495.msg712733#msg712733

Essentially, what you need is not a potential (which is undefined when something actually hits the BH and r= 0) but a potential difference.
.

7

Physiology & Medicine / Re: Does Hand or Nose Size Actually Correlate to Penis Size?

« on: 02/10/2023 10:06:22 »

Anyone who has grown up realises that hand size correlates with age.

8

Just Chat! / Re: Anyone going to the party congress?

« on: 02/10/2023 00:02:47 »

If the Tory got elected, what are the chances that they would be "persuaded" by the same (or an equivalent)  "unaccountable consultancy"?

9

Just Chat! / Re: Anyone going to the party congress?

« on: 01/10/2023 19:51:23 »

My invitation has yet to arrive.

10

COVID-19 / Re: Corona impact?

« on: 01/10/2023 17:36:41 »

We did know the mortality rate by the time lockdown ensued

Only if we had trustworthy data from China.

In China Winnie the poo is illegal.

11

COVID-19 / Re: Corona impact?

« on: 01/10/2023 12:54:39 »

lockdowns did not stop societal collapse.

They didn't start it either.
So what?

12

Physiology & Medicine / Re: Does Hand or Nose Size Actually Correlate to Penis Size?

« on: 30/09/2023 11:36:23 »

The ratio zero / zero is undefined.
But (0,0) is a perfectly valid coordinate on a graph and the correlation is pretty clear, albeit on a small data set.
(units are inches)

Graph2.png (8.07 kB . 480x288 - viewed 50 times)

13

Physiology & Medicine / Re: Does Hand or Nose Size Actually Correlate to Penis Size?

« on: 30/09/2023 00:04:25 »

Looking beyond humanity, the answer is still yes.
Compare, for example, the mammal of your choice (hand size "x", penis size "y") with amoebae  (hand size 0, penis size 0) .

14

COVID-19 / Re: Corona impact?

« on: 29/09/2023 23:59:53 »

But you can't ignore a consistent bidirectional correlation between teenage suicide and Tory government,

I'm willing to bet that he can.
It's irrational, but that won't stop him.

15

COVID-19 / Re: Corona impact?

« on: 29/09/2023 11:56:41 »

And to save you checking, here's what UK politics was doing over time.

child suicide vs year politic.png (7.27 kB . 480x288 - viewed 20 times)

I'm always happy to point out when Alan gets stuff wrong, but in this case, I think he's more right than he realised.
Peaks in child suicide happened under Tories, troughs under Labour.

16

COVID-19 / Re: Corona impact?

« on: 29/09/2023 11:50:21 »

I had a look at the actual data here
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/suicidesintheunitedkingdomreferencetables
And drew the graph of total suicide deaths aged 10 to 19 vs year. (That's absolute- not deaths per million or whatever)

child suicide vs year.png (6.4 kB . 480x288 - viewed 21 times)

17

The Environment / Re: The link between global warming and world population expansion.

« on: 29/09/2023 11:14:24 »

Our objective is to get clean fuel

we have sensibly agreed to open a coal mine and now to resume exploiting oil

Do you know what "clean" means?

18

Physiology & Medicine / Re: Bullying And Groupthink.

« on: 28/09/2023 21:02:28 »

In my only foray into student politics I made no speeches and posted just one advertisement: "Smash Calverd Now - Vote for Someone Else".

I came second out of six candidates.

My recollection of student politics was that the mars bar sometimes won.

19

Just Chat! / Re: Can schoolkids kidnapping be eliminated by this simple weird trick

« on: 28/09/2023 20:59:27 »

I'm fairly sure that the people who are most likely to kidnap children are parents.
I don't see how your idea actually addressed the real problem.

20

Just Chat! / Re: Producing Gold Artificially.

« on: 28/09/2023 20:51:56 »

Neutron sources are expensive

Not hugely; you can make your own.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusor

Big ones are impractical.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_star